Saturday, May 07, 2005

On the anniversary of Victory in Europe

Germany opened celebrations across Europe to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of Nazi Germany. On Sunday, commemorations in Berlin include reflective speeches as well as an uncomfortable march by neo-Nazis.

Germany opened a "festival of democracy" Saturday to mark 60 years of the end of the Second World War as celebrations continued throughout the continent this weekend.

The festival of democracy includes pop concerts and a 30-kilometer (18-mile) chain of candles.

At the Brandenburg gate, a giant screen is to be erected to show the retransmission of an interfaith church service and speeches Sunday, May 8 by President Horst Köhler and Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, who is then to fly to Moscow to attend official ceremonies on Monday marking the end of the war in Europe.